Bleacher Report's Final 2014 MLB Spring Training Awards

Every March, fans, analysts and fantasy baseball enthusiasts denounce the result of spring training games, yet keep a watchful eye on the progression and performance of individual players through the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues.

On one hand, the games don't count and stats have no bearing on what will happen when the regular season arrives.

On the other hand, we all pay attention, especially when performances jump off the page and grab our attention.

Each November, fans squabble over yearly awards, snubs and discrepancies between the BBWAA and common sense.

With the exhibition season coming to a close, why wait for the regular season to assign awards and boost the career credentials of emerging stars?

After carefully examining the ballots, weeding out players eventually reassigned to minor league camp and discerning what performances truly stood out over the last six weeks, the votes have been tallied for a brand new award season.

After two of the most prolific opening acts in baseball history, Trout picked up where he left off during the 2013 regular season.

On a daily basis—even in the often monotonous nature of exhibition games—Los Angeles has a magnetic star who lights up the field. Whether it's in the box, on the bases or in the outfield, the American League MVP of spring training once again showed the rare ability to take over a baseball game in every way possible.

Barring another all-time great offensive campaign from Miguel Cabrera, the regular season MVP should finally land with the Angels star.

If not for Trout's stardom, McCutchen might be talked about as baseball's best overall player. Plus, unlike the underachieving Angels, the National League MVP of the spring led his team to October last year and back into the national spotlight.

With a rare blend of power, speed, defense and leadership ability, McCutchen is quickly becoming a household name despite making his career in the city of Pittsburgh.

After jumping from 79 wins in 2012 to 94 victories in 2013 and a berth in the NL postseason, many expect regression from the Pirates in 2014. That won't happen if McCutchen can reprise his role as the best all-around player in the National League.

If the results of spring training are any indication of the season he's poised to have, pencil the Bucs in for another magical year.

In 20 innings of Grapefruit League baseball, Justin Verlander didn't surrender an earned run. Somehow—just months removed from core surgery that hampered the former Cy Young award winner during the 2013 season—there was little rust or reason to doubt the future Hall of Famer.

Last year, Verlander was seemingly passed by teammate Max Scherzer. In both the Tigers rotation pecking order and perception, a new ace emerged in Detroit.

Based on the performance of the 2011 AL MVP over the last 20 innings, the debate over worth, value and ace status within the Tigers organization may not be over quite yet.

In baseball debates—even when it comes to simply picking standouts of spring training—it's hard to get five experts to agree on anything, let alone picking the best pitcher in the entire National League.

Thanks to a ridiculous 22-to-2 strikeout-to-walk rate, Madison Bumgarner did the impossible by convincing the entire B/R Lead Writer team to pencil his name in as the spring training Cy Young award winner for 2014.

Now comes the next challenge: graduating from really, really good to great when the regular season begins.

If Bumgarner is up to the task, the Giants could find their way back to October baseball.

Nothing gets the average fan more excited than standout performances from young players during spring training. Despite the presence of prospect mavens—including our own Mike Rosenbaum—the idea of a player magically improving, taking a leap or becoming something unexpected is tantalizing on a yearly basis.

To be fair, Yordano Ventura didn't magically emerge from some foreign land to become a spring stud. In fact, the 22-year-old pitched 15.1 innings of solid (3.52 ERA) baseball during a September call-up in Kansas City last season.

Yet his performance this spring was off the charts, leading to a job in Kansas City's Opening Day rotation.

Over the next six months, talented rookies like Nick Castellanos—garnering a vote from Catania—and Boston's Xander Bogaerts will be strong contenders for the actual award.

When it comes to spring training, no AL rookie was better than Ventura.

When Javier Baez steps up to the plate, cliches follow from announcers attempting to keep up with the glowing scouting reports, as well as his eye-opening skill and vast potential.

Unfortunately for aspiring baseball play-by-play men, Baez is making it awfully difficult to keep up.

With five home runs—including a mammoth shot against the Colorado Rockies—Baez showed power well beyond what is expected from any 21-year-old shortstop.

Don't pay too much attention to on-base percentage (.294) or strikeout-to-walk ratio (16-1) for a player still ironing out kinks and learning to become a complete hitter. Instead, focus on raw, unfiltered power and bat speed.

Baez is the deserving NL ROY pick despite flaws in his game. When those are corrected, consideration for MVP awards will likely commence.

After years of success with the small-market Rays, it's fair to say that Joe Maddon is recognized as one of the best managers in the sport. With a forward-thinking approach, analytically-inclined mind and constant focus on the big picture, Maddon has become a dual threat: a player's coach in the clubhouse and liaison to the front office with major decision making.

Nurturing young players, advising general manager Andrew Friedman on roster moves and handling the day-to-day realities of life as a small-market team in a land of giants (Yankees, Red Sox) can overshadow the job Maddon does in the dugout.

Whether it's spring training or Game 7 of the ALCS, Maddon gets the most out of the talent on his roster.

After a solid spring, he's molded a team with the third-lowest payroll in baseball, per Deadspin, into a group capable of winning the AL East.

When a respected and knowledgeable baseball writer like ESPN's Jerry Crasnick identifies the Miami Marlins as a team with sleeper potential, someone deserves credit for a massive culture change and shift in direction.

After losing 100 games in his first year as a manager, Redmond didn't throw in the towel on a young team that was bound to experience growing pains.

Now, the former catcher is poised to oversee a pitching staff with outrageous potential. In baseball, the fastest way to contention is through dominant starting pitching. After posting a 3.52 ERA as a team during the Grapefruit League season, Redmond could have that kind of staff in the near future.

With apologies to Melky Cabrera's 1.034 OPS and Michael Pineda's 1.20 ERA, this vote would have been disappointing if anyone but Sizemore took home the hardware.

Baseball's feel-good story of spring continues to rewrite narratives, surprise fans and conjure up memories of when Sizemore was baseball's best young, ascending five-tool sensation.

Yes, kids, Grazy Sizemore was Mike Trout before Mike Trout.

Due to years of injuries, setbacks and lost athleticism, Sizemore shouldn't be expected to ever reach those heights again. But that doesn't mean he can't become a major contributor for the defending champions in Boston.

If his spring production carries over into the regular season, Jackie Bradley Jr. will have a difficult time holding onto the starting center field job in Fenway Park.

As The New York Times baseball writer Tyler Kepner astutely pointed out, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette has a history of magical seasons once every 10 years.

In 1994, Duquette's Expos were baseball's best team before the strike hit and caused the cancellation of the postseason and World Series. In 2004, the Red Sox—a team Duquette was largely responsible for building—won the World Series.

After adding Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz to a core that has averaged 89 victories per season over the last two years, 2014 could soon be remembered as another triumph for Duquette's executive resume.

The AL East is a bear, but the Orioles have a legitimate chance to win their division for the first time since 1997. Credit for the depth and direction of the 40-man roster and farm system should go to our 2014 spring training award winner.

In the name of fairness—and to quell angry MVP comments from readers—the B/R MLB team believes that the Hank Aaron Award should be given its just due. Sometimes, pure hitting is what fans want. By bringing this award into the conversation, defense, WAR and all-around excellence can be put on the back burner.

Then, the MVP honor can truly reflect the best player—not best hitter—in each league.

After underachieving during a three-year big league career, Kansas City's Mike Moustakas did the exact opposite this spring.

Yes, the B/R voters understand the difference between best hitter and best player. In the case of spring awards for the National League, the vote for each category belongs to the same person: Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen.

As noted earlier, Pittsburgh has an all-around star. But even if the perennial MVP candidate was a lousy leader, defender or slow runner, an .844 slugging percentage would win this award every single time.

It took nearly two decades, but the Pirates finally have a worthy heir to the throne that Barry Bonds vacated when he departed for San Francisco after the 1992 season.

Agree? Disagree?

Who were the most impressive performers of spring training 2014?

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